• The Bills' "No Huddle K-Gun" offense again dominated the league, gaining an NFL record 6,525y and scoring 458 points, a franchise record that was second only to Washington in 1991.
• QB Jim Kelly and RB Thurman Thomas both topped their outstanding 1990 seasons. Kelly achieved career highs of 3,844y passing, 64.1 completion percentage, and 33 touchdowns. Thomas set personal records for yards/game (93.8), average yards per carry (4.9), and pass receptions (62).
• On the other side of the line of scrimmage, Buffalo's defense ranked only 27th during the regular season. However, part of the reason for the poor performance was All-Pro DE Bruce Smith missing 11 games and NT Jeff Wright missing seven, both with knee injuries.

The game would be a chance at redemption for the Bills. after they lost the year before to the Giants 20-19 when Scott Norwood's field goal as time expired sailed wide right.

• They clobbered Kansas City 37-14 in the Divisional Round.
• They edged the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship game.

• They recorded double-digit regular season victories for the third straight year and led the NFL in points scored (485). They also allowed the second-fewest points (224) in the league.
• A big factor in their success was their NFL-best +18 turnover ratio.
• "We knew we weren't a great team and that we'd have to play hard and together to win," said Gibbs, "and that's what we did. I never enjoyed coaching a team more. I really believe it was a well-balanced team with great team chemistry and great team leadership. I was along for the ride."
• Canadian-born QB Mark Rypien's 8.5y per pass attempt ranked second in the league, and his 3,564 passing yards were best in the NFC and fourth in the league.
  Rypien's contract had expired at the end of his erratic 1990 season. As a restricted free agent, any other team that signed him would have to grant Washington draft-day compensation. So he did not show up for the start of training camp in August. But ten days into the holdout, he decided to sign a one-year contract and bank on playing so much better that the Redskins would sign him to a longer contract.
• RB Earnest Byner's 1,048 rushing yards were 5th best in the NFL.
• The Redskins also boasted two wide receivers with over 1,000 receiving yards – Gary Clark (1,340) and Art Monk (1,049).

• The primary reason for the consistency was the continuity in the defensive coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon, linebackers coach Larry Peccatiello, and defensive line coach LaVern Torgeson had worked together for a decade.
• Gibbs was content to work with the offense and leave the defense to his hand-picked triumverate. "I think because I coached offense, and we had the success we had, I always felt like, ... when it was all said and done, the defense didn't get the credit they deserved."
• Petitbon based his game plan on what the Denver Broncos did to contain the Bills in the AFC Championship Game that Buffalo won by a mere 10-7. Denver kept blitzing QB Jim Kelly. If they didn't sack Kelly, they at least hit him just as he released the ball.
  Rypien recalled that in 1991 "each player could sense that Joe Gibbs was enjoying himself a lot because he was giving us Monday and Tuesdday off after a win and had a loosy-goosy attitude. ... We fed off each other, players and coaches. lot of times on a team, it is one side of the football and the other side. But on the Redskins, the offensive guys, defensive guys, and special-teams players were all friends. It was a group of guys who believed in each other and enjoyed each other."

The Redskins, seven-point favorites, wanted to extend the NFC's Super Bowl winning streak to eight.

• Gibbs hoped to win his third Super Bowl with his third starting quarterback.
• First was Joe Theismann in Super Bowl XVII, then Doug Williams in XXII, and now Mark Rypien.

The Redskins didn't need any extra motivation, but Buffalo Defensive Line Coach Chuck Dickerson provided bulletin board material in a television interview.

• Dickerson insulted the Washington offensive line, known as "The Hogs" and universally respected as one of the best in football.
• The Bills assistant said T Jim Lachey was "A ballerina in a 310-pound body" who "has bad breath." T Joe Jacoby was "my type of guy, a Neanderthal – he slobbers a lot, he probably kicks dogs in his neighborhood." C Jeff Bostic was "Ugly, like the rest of 'em."
• Gibbs was happy to show the video to his team the night before the Super Bowl. "It fired us up," Grimm said. "There's no question. To see some of the remarks and his facial expressions ... it was uncalled for."
• Coach Levy later described the interview as "the girder that brought down the building."
• Despite protesting that his remarks were meant as a joke, Dickerson was fired three days after the Super Bowl.

The Bills players weren't happy Dickerson added an unnecessary distraction. WR James Lofton knew the Redskins would feed off the remarks. After the game, he said, "The Redskins are a really talented team. Chuck Dickerson made some comments about The Hogs and their offensive line which, I guess, gave them a little extra motivation."
Rypien praised the Buffalo defense. "What a great and talented crew that they had. They were very skilled, and they had their own sense of physicality too. With Bruce Smith, whenever you played against him, you better make sure you knew where he was on the football field."

• Pat Summerall and John Madden anchored the telecast.
• Jack Buck and Hank Stram, CBS radio's popular Monday Night Football team, handled the radio play-by-play.